Calgary Flames
· 2026-07-02
The Calgary Flames have lost Justin Kirkland to the Minnesota Wild in free agency.
Kirkland signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Wild.
The deal will pay him $850,000 at the NHL level and $500,000 in the AHL.
Justin Kirkland spent the past two seasons with the Flames organization.
He quickly became a fan favourite in the 2024-25 season, thanks largely to several shootout heroics.
Unfortunately for Kirkland, his breakout season in 2024-25 was cut short due to ACL surgery in early December.
The injury wound up keeping him sidelined until training camp the following season.
The 2025-26 season wasn’t as kind to Kirkland, as he struggled to make an impact when in the Flames lineup.
Kirkland marks the second player the Flames have lost in free agency, as earlier in the day Ryan Lomberg agreed to a two-year, $2.6 million deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
As for the Flames themselves, they have been quiet as expected on the opening day of free agency.
The Flames have added some organizational depth, signing Mike Benning to a two-way deal, while also bringing in Luke Philp on an AHL contract.
The Calgary Flames currently stand 14th in the Western Conference with a 34-39 record, on a W1 streak.
And the team will look to improve their standing with their new signings.
But the loss of Kirkland will be felt, as he was a fan favourite.
So the Flames will need to find a way to replace his production.
The Flames have a long road ahead of them, but they are looking to make a push for the playoffs.
The team has a lot of work to do, but they are confident in their abilities.
The Calgary Flames will look to bounce back from their losses and make a strong run in the second half of the season.